Midtown Bloggerinos! Raph here, with a new installment of one of my favorite posts from last year! I love science fiction, it’s one of the major backbones of comics, and has helped unleashed the imagination of countless millions. Without people writing stories about faraway places or future technology, how could we have inspired inventors who create smart phones, tablets and neurokinetic 3-D holoprojective televisions? … Okay so the last one is made up, but imagine how cool it’d be?!?

I love science fiction, and I think people may forget that superhero comics are science fiction comics. Superman is an alien, Batman and Iron Man have expensive gadgets, and the X-Men are genetically enhanced. There’s a certain magic and mythology to superheroes, but there is also a rational and scientific explanation for most of what goes on in comics (I still don’t know where Beppo the Super Monkey comes from). So to celebrate, here are 5 sci-fi comics you should be reading!

Hello Midtown Blogger League of America! (or wherever you’re from!), Raph here this week and I got some twee views as well as something different. I thought I’d get into a little something we fanboys (and girls) like to do: talk about our favorite things in comics. This time, I want to take a look at some alternate realities, particularly with the Ultimate Universe going through major upheaval and the DCU being re-written in Flashpoint… I wanted to look at some universes and tales that I’ve enjoyed in the four color founts of fun that are comics… gotta get this Stan Lee Alliteration bug out of my system…

New York, NY, May 12, 2011- Midtown Comics in New York City will present Zachary Quinto (“Heroes,” “Star Trek”) signing LUCID Vol. 1 HC from ARCHAIA Entertainment at Midtown Comics Downtown. Purchase of the LUCID Vol.1 is required to attend. Limit two signatures per customer.

LUCID will be available exclusively to Midtown Comics one week prior to its national release, for the purpose of this event.

In 2008, longtime collaborators and friends Corey Moosa, Neal Dodson and Zachary Quinto formed Before The Door Pictures, a media production company. Before The Door has an extensive development slate of projects in film, television, web and graphic novels. In 2009, Before The Door and Archaia Entertainment announced a partnership to produce a series of graphic novels. The first title, LUCID, created by actor and longtime BTD friend Michael McMillian (“True Blood”), debuted in 2010 in single-issue form and is now available in a collected-edition hardcover. Together with Moosa and Dodson, Quinto served as an executive editor on LUCID, working with McMillian, artist Anna Wieszczyk and the Archaia staff to help make the book as accessible and entertaining as possible, offering his input and feedback where needed. Quinto was also instrumental in helping LUCID gain recognition within and outside the comic book industry, using his influence and popularity to tout the book at Comic-Con International in San Diego and in interviews with various media outlets, including MTV, G4 and Comic Book Resources.

Welcome to the world of LUCID, the action-packed pop-fantasy that draws inspiration from the spy genre, Arthurian legend and 21st-century folklore! Dark forces are conspiring to prevent humankind from reaching its true potential. Thankfully, as newly appointed “Protector of the Realm,” Agent Matthew Dee uses his skills as a covert spy and Combat Mage to ensure America’s freedom from the grip of evil. Written by “True Blood” actor Michael McMillian and illustrated by newcomer Anna Wieszczyk, LUCID is Archaia’s first title published in association with Zachary Quinto (“Heroes,” “Star Trek”) and his company, Before the Door.

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This week DC’s THE SOURCE blog shows off Andy Kubert’s design of Aquaman for the upcoming DC event FLASHPOINT. Take a close look at the logo on Aquaman’s arm. Could it be that the big secret to FLASHPOINT is that Aquaman meets Captain Picard and joins Starfleet? Somebody had to take care of those whales from Star Trek IV. No?